「Back at Haitang Court.」

Xu Lai briefly explained the situation. Both Ruan Tang and Ruan Lan were worried about what Yiyi would perform at the upcoming kindergarten parents' meeting, since the little girl hadn't enrolled in any hobby classes. Unlike the other children, who had learned at least two or three things like calligraphy, dance, recitation, or piano.

Ruan Tang looked at Xu Lai wistfully. She had actually considered signing her daughter up for hobby classes, but Xu Lai had swept those ideas away with a grand gesture, saying, "Give the child a happy childhood."

Feeling a tingle on his scalp under his wife's gaze, Xu Lai quickly said, "Don't worry, I'll teach her some magic tricks to dazzle the crowd."

"Exactly!" Ruan Lan clapped. "My brother-in-law's magic is quite good. A few days of intensive training should be enough for Yiyi to perform some simple tricks."

"At this point, that's all we can do," Ruan Tang said, massaging her temples. She wasn't being vain and didn't need her daughter to stand out at the kindergarten. She was just afraid her daughter would feel inferior for not having a special talent to present.

"Then Mommy, will you come to Yiyi's parents' meeting?" Xu Yiyi asked, looking at her expectantly.

"Of course, I will," Ruan Tang said with a smile.

"Mommy, pinky promise."

Xu Yiyi happily stretched out her little hand.

Watching this scene, Xu Lai couldn't help but become lost in thought, recalling the image of Ruan Tang and him making a pinky promise. Like mother, like daughter. Both just as innocent.

"Wait a second, if the three of you are going, what about me?" Ruan Lan asked, stunned.

"You're going to school," Ruan Tang glanced at her younger sister.

PFFT!

Ruan Lan collapsed on the couch, all her enthusiasm gone. "I wanted to see my adorable niece perform."

Xu Yiyi gently patted Ruan Lan's head and said softly, "Yiyi wants Auntie to be there too, but only parents can go."

Ruan Lan was touched. When my niece isn't being sarcastic, she's just too adorable. She's even consoling me, her elder.

Ruan Lan couldn't help but embrace Yiyi, her voice filled with emotion. "I want to have a daughter in the future, too! A Xiao Mian'ao like her is just so heartwarming!"

"But Auntie, you're single," Yiyi said, blinking her big, cute eyes, her adorable tone packing quite a punch.

HISS.

Ruan Lan clutched her chest as if a knife had just pierced it. That hurts!

She protested, "...Being single is just temporary!"

"Besides, my sister was single once, and she still had you, didn't she? I just need a beautiful encounter!" Ruan Lan staunchly believed that she would meet the right person at the right time and in the right place.

That day would surely be scattered with countless cherry blossoms, falling at a speed of five centimeters per second. The ground, covered in petals, would look like a pink carpet, and the air would be filled with the scent of romance.

She would be at one end of the path.

Her beloved at the other.

Both blushing, they would slowly approach. As they brushed past each other, they would turn around at the same time. Her Prince Charming would look at her tenderly and ask in a magnetic voice, "Beautiful lady, may I have your name...?"

WOW, WOW, WOW!

Just the thought was enough to make Ruan Lan swoon. She lay on the couch with her flushed face buried in a pillow, her legs rhythmically kicking up and down like a little girl who had fallen head over heels in love.

However, beautiful dreams are always fleeting.

"Auntie, wake up," Yiyi said innocently. "You're drooling."

COUGH, COUGH, COUGH.

Ruan Lan hurriedly wiped the corner of her mouth, trying not to look like a lovesick fool. "See? I just have to wait patiently for fate!"

Xu Yiyi said nothing. She glanced at her aunt, then at her mommy, and finally threw herself into Ruan Tang's arms, nuzzling her head against her mother's chest.

She muttered softly, "Mommy's embrace is warm. Auntie's embrace feels like hugging the ground."

WHAT!?

Ruan Lan rolled her eyes in annoyance. What was her niece implying? What did she mean by hugging the ground...? I'm not that flat!

Even Xu Lai cast a strange glance toward Ruan Tang. His wife's embrace really is warm.

Feeling her face inexplicably heat up as she caught Xu Lai's gaze, Ruan Tang glared. "Go fill the bathtub with hot water. I'm going to give our daughter a bath!"

"Okay."

Xu Lai went to run the hot water.

Beibei hopped onto the faucet and hesitated. "How about this? During the performance, I'll hide in Yiyi's clothes and flood the entire kindergarten for everyone."

"...No need for that." Xu Lai gave a wry smile. Beibei really isn't afraid of causing trouble.

As for what his daughter would perform, Xu Lai had already decided. After his daughter finished her bath, he took her out.

Ruan Lan wondered to herself, Why is he being so secretive about practicing a magic trick? Don't tell me he's planning to surprise my sister, is he? Maybe he'll publicly pull out a diamond ring and propose...

After all, Xu Lai had a 'prior record' of such things. For example, on Ruan Tang's birthday, the gift that had impressed Ruan Lan the most wasn't the Haitang Court, worth five hundred million, but the sky full of Haitang blossoms.

Imagining a proposal scene, Ruan Tang's heart skipped a beat. She put on a stern face and said, "Go to bed."

"Oh."

Ruan Lan returned to her room on the second floor and fell asleep without a care in the world. Ever since she had publicly slaughtered her rival Xiao Yu's dragon in the national collegiate Go competition, she no longer studied Go records with her past fervor. On the contrary, Lu An became increasingly obsessed with it, joyfully studying every day with Ke Ji Ninth Dan, making his Go skills improve by leaps and bounds!

Ruan Tang waited for an hour before Xu Lai finally returned with their daughter. Seeing the two of them, Ruan Tang asked curiously, "Yiyi, what did Daddy teach you?"

"It's a secret."

"Keeping secrets from me?" Ruan Tang feigned anger.

"Mommy." Xu Yiyi clung to Ruan Tang's leg, her voice sweet and coaxing. "I can't tell you yet. You'll find out at the parents' meeting."

"Alright then." Ruan Tang didn't press further and just pinched her daughter's little nose.

"Mommy, can Yiyi sleep with you tonight?" Xu Yiyi asked with an expectant look. "Yiyi wants to listen to Daddy tell a story, too."

"Of course you can!" Ruan Tang said, surprised and delighted.

Recently, because of the roly-poly Xiao Hei, Xu Yiyi had moved into her own room. This had left Ruan Tang feeling lonely at night, and she hadn't slept well for several nights.

「In the room.」

Xu Lai continued to tell Yiyi the story of Venerable Qingfeng.

After lulling his daughter to sleep, he was about to get up and leave when Ruan Tang took his hand. "Xu Lai, wait a moment..."

"Hmm?" Xu Lai turned in surprise, his gaze following her hand to her face. "What's up?"

His wife's face was slightly flushed, and she quickly let go. Her gaze flickered to the ground before quickly meeting Xu Lai's again. In a soft, gentle voice, she said, "It's nothing."

"No, there's definitely something on your mind," Xu Lai said earnestly. "Tell me, what you're hiding in your heart is... isn't it..."

He paused. Seeing Ruan Tang's puzzled expression, he continued, "Isn't it me?"

"..."

"You narcissist!" Ruan Tang said with exasperation, kicking her foot out at him.

Xu Lai caught his wife's ankle to avoid the kick. His eyes drifted to her fair, long leg, and he had to admit...

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